


Lost and Found

by little_werewolf



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-20
Updated: 2013-09-20
Packaged: 2017-12-27 03:16:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/973654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_werewolf/pseuds/little_werewolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil returns, only to find out that Clint hasn’t waited.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost and Found

“What do you mean you don’t know where he is?” Phil asked. He was currently sitting in Stark Tower, apparently now called the so Avengers Tower. He was surrounded by no other but Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff and Steve Rogers. Phil had just gotten his discharge papers from SHIELD that morning, after finding out that Fury for the record had apparently told everyone that he was dead and had never rectified it. It meant that the Avengers, and his agents, didn’t know about his existence until 15 minutes ago. It also however meant, that his lover Clint Barton, didn’t know anything about it either and had gone completely off the grid.

 

“We’ve followed his tracks, kept an eye on him, but then one day he simply disappeared,” Natasha explained. Phil nodded with a small frown, putting his head in his hands and letting the words go through his mind.

 

Clint knew how to disappear, he was a trained assassin from SHIELD. If that man didn’t know how to disappear then who would? Even more he had been teamed up enough of  times with Natasha to have learned some of her tricks. If Clint didn’t want to be found, it would take a lot of time to find any kind of some of trace of the man.

 

“Well then, where did you lose him?” Phil asked seriously, sitting up straight and composing himself. He would be damned if he didn’t turn around every stone to find the other man. He could hear both Stark and Rogers ready to raise their voices, however Natasha seemed to be quicker than them.

 

“Canada, Vancouver, who knows what he was up to there,” Natasha started, taking control of the situation and explaining to Phil everything that she had knew about Clint’s whereabouts until to that point.

 

It was late in the night before Coulson finally settled in his bed to sleep. He had taken up on Natasha’s offer and was now sleeping in one her guest bedrooms. It was the safest place for him. Well maybe not only that, but he doubted Rogers wanted to be bothered by him the whole time and Stark was always up to things that Phil definitely didn’t want to know about. Also there was also Pepper, who apparently had moved in with Stark and they were planning for a new home, and Coulson definitely didn’t want to hear any of that.

 

Mainly because Clint and he had also been planning. One morning when they were sitting in Phil’s office at SHIELD. Phil had been attempting to finish last minutes reports, while Clint had sat down on his desk, kicking his legs and eating something that he was sure once had been a hamburger.

 

_“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Phil asked with a raised eyebrow, not looking up from what he was typing into the computer._

_“Yeah... but I am having breakfast,” Clint remarked with a shrug._

_“You’re supposed to be a role model Barton. Coming in late and doing what you please is not exactly what that entails,” Phil said with a small groan. “Also, that is definitely not breakfast food. When was the last time you had a proper meal?”_

_“42 hours ago sir, before I flew back from North Korea,” Clint replied with a small shrug._

_“And sleep?”_

_“I would say about the same,” the other replied and then jumped off the table. Phil looked up as he watched as Clint licked his fingers clean and then rolled the wrapping paper into a perfect small ball before throwing it into the nearest rubbish bin._

_“I can never leave you alone,” Phil murmured affectionately with a shake of his head. He let himself lean back in his chair, inviting the other man to come closer if he wanted to. It only took a matter of seconds before Clint was straddling his hips, leaning down to kiss him. Eventually Clint pulled back, smirking at Phil as he got off the other man’s lap and headed for the door._

_“Where are you off to?” Phil dared to asked._

_“To be a responsible role model,” Clint replied with a smirk. It earned him a laugh, and Phil turned his attention back to the report he was writing._

Phil awoke with a small gasp, sitting up and reaching up to touch his shoulder. It took him a while to catch his breath again, letting himself drop back down on the bed once he had. He stared up at the ceiling with a sad smile. Usually it would be him waking up in the night because f Clint waking up from a dream or two. He couldn’t stop his hand from reaching out for where his mind pretended for the other man’s body to be, letting out a shuddering sigh when he felt nothing but a cold empty spot beside him.

 

He would kill Fury for this one once Phil managed to find Clint.

 

Of course finding Clint was never as easy as he thought it would be. Phil spend days retracing Clint’s steps with Natasha and watching as Stark attempted to do a full world scan for the missing assassin. After a while he wondered if it maybe would be a good idea to stop the search. He couldn’t force a person to be found that didn’t want to be found in the first place.

 

So Phil did the one thing he knew that he could at least rely on during situations like these, he phoned his mother.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hello mum, it’s Phil here,” Phil said quietly. He had returned to main floor of the Avengers Tower, enjoying the solitude in the large living room while everyone was out..

 

“Phillip? Oh my god, is that really you?” his mother asked, and Phil frowned as he heard the apparent shock in her voice.

 

“Why shouldn’t it be me mum? Is everything alright? Are you and father fine?” Phil asked in concern.

 

“Philip, I.. we thought you were dead. Your boy was here and brought us the news,” she said and Phil could hear her voice catch at those words. What had caught most of his attention was however  when she had said that ‘his boy’ had been there.

 

“Clint was with you?” he asked seriously, already getting up and heading for the elevator.

 

“Yes he was here, poor child. He didn’t look at all too well,” his mum continued and Phil could feel his own throat now constrict at the thought of how much Clint must have been suffering.

 

“Mum, I’ll be there in a few hours,” was all he added before hanging up the phone and getting ready to leave.

 

Phil had left a note for everyone, simply to inform them he had gotten a lead and then packed a few of his belongings.

 

Without further thought he then drove off to Boston, not minding any of the speed limits. This was more important. Clint had told his parents he was dead. Clint had contacted them before he disappeared. Why had no one picked up on that?

 

As promised to his mother,  it were only 3 hours later before Phil arrived at his childhood home in Boston. Grabbing his bag from the back of the car, he walked over to the door and rang the bell. He grew still as he heard footsteps inside and his mother opening the door seconds later.

 

Phil had to drop his bag in surprise as he suddenly had her hugging him tightly. He reached out to wrap his arms tightly around the slightly smaller woman in return, pressing a kiss against her head.

 

“It’s okay mum, I am fine,” Phil murmured hoarsely, pressing his eyes tightly close.

 

Once his mother had gotten over the shock that he was alive, Phil was invited into the house, following his mother into the kitchen once he had gotten his belonging up into his old childhood room..

 

“When Clint was here to tell me that you had died...” his mother started and Phil walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. “I don’t understand why he would make up something like that. He seemed to genuinely upset,” she continued.

 

“They told him I was. It’s a long story,” Phil replied in defeat. He guided his mother to sit down at the table and prepared some coffee for both of them, needing something to do with his hands for now.

 

“Oh... well I am sure he will be happy to find out that he was wrong,” she said softly, and Phil looked back over to her with a defeated expression.

 

“I... well I don’t exactly know where he is,” Phil replied. He carried both of their coffee mugs to the table and then sat down opposite his mother.  

 

“Well then I will give you his address, I am sure he won’t mind,” his mother replied calmly making Phil spit out some of his coffee in shock, completely ignoring the mess he was making of himself that moment.

 

“You know where he is?” he asked trying to regain as much composure as possible.

 

“Yes of course. I made him keep in contact. He doesn’t have anyone else, and you were always so good for one and another. I didn’t want him to feel like he wasn’t wanted here anymore,” she explained and Phil could feel relieve flood through his body. “Do you want me to phone him?”

 

“No. Better not. I’d rather go and see him myself,” Phil explained. He knew how Clint thought. The wrong words at the wrong time and the man would flee again. He had already managed to keep the route to his parents hidden, it would be no problem for him to disappear again another time. Phil didn’t want that to happen again. “Where is he now exactly?”

 

“He has a place somewhere in Scotland, near the coast apparently...” his mother explained and Phil’s mind drifted of that moment. Scotland. That would mean flying. Well apparently Clint had needed to get pretty far away.

 

_“What if they don’t like me?” Clint asked as they were driving down the road._

_“What is there not to like about you? Well, that if you’re not being your stubborn self,” Phil teased softly. The tease apparently didn’t do the trick, it only had Clint glaring at him. Letting out a soft sigh, Phil reached out to put his hand gently on the other man’s knee, giving it a small squeeze._

_“It will be fine Clint, my mother loves almost everyone,” Phil added soothingly._

_“But what if I belong to this 1% of people that she doesn’t like? I mean. It could happen, and then I would have to spend the rest of my life, sitting in the corner of family meals because they can’t stand me,” Clint murmured, and sounding seriously upset about the prospect._

_“Listen to me Clint. They will love you. They just have to, because you’re my partner. Hell they have accepted my sister’s husband, they might as well welcome you in the family,” Phil said softly, smiling as he saw his words finally reassuring Clint, even if only a little._

_“Okay, but don’t tell me I haven’t warned you,” Clint replied._

_Some time later, when they had arrived and all the introductions had been shared, they were sitting at the dining table for late lunch. Phil couldn’t help himself from smiling as he watched Clint completely fitting into the family, smiling as he talked with his parents and joked around with the kids. He had done the right decision of bringing Clint here. He had finally found the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with._

 

On the following day Phil found himself driving to the next possible airport to catch a flight to Scotland. He had gotten the address from his mother, searched for the route on how to get there, and then had been been ready to get there. Of course finding a free flight, and then getting to Scotland was a complete different matter. For once he didn’t stop himself from pulling out his SHIELD id, calling it an important matter and that he urgently needed a seat.

 

It were 24 hours later when Phil finally landed on english soil. He spend the night at the local airport hotel, before renting a car early the next morning and then driving to where he knew Clint to be. Phil was like a dog with a bone, not stopping for anything but putting gas in the car. He didn’t want to risk the chance of losing Clint again.

 

When he finally came close to where Clint was supposed to be, Phil found himself somewhere in the middle of nowhere. It wasn’t hard to find the cottage to which the address belonged to, chuckling to himself as he saw that Clint had apparently attempted to build up some stables. The man had always liked horses, so was not surprised to see that Clint was trying to make at least something work.

 

Shaking the thought off, Phil parked the car next to an older looking jeep, and then stepped out of the car. Scotland was colder than the USA, feeling the cold wind biting into his skin. Definitely not his kind of weather.

 

Letting out a small sigh, Phil walked over to the front door and rang the bell. There were no noises coming from the inside, which either meant that Clint was asleep or was attempting to make a run for it through the back door. Cursing himself, Phil was ready to take a look around the corner as he heard the locks of the door.

 

As Phil saw Clint he could feel his heart clench in his chest. The man looked absolutely horrible. He had never seen Clint with a beard before, there were visible dark rings under his eyes and he looked like he hadn’t eaten properly since weeks.

 

“Hey,” Phil said quietly, just looking at Clint with a calm expression.

 

“Oh fuck... I think I might have had too much to drink,” Clint murmured and then promptly fainted.

 

Cursing under his breath, Phil immediately reached out to catch Clint before he fell face first on the ground and then pulled him gently into the house. The place was a mess, and Phil scrunched up his nose a little at the smells that hit his nose.

 

Letting out a small sigh, Phil pulled Clint over to the nearest couch and carefully settled him down on it.

 

“Stay there,” he murmured, even if he knew that the other man wouldn’t be able to hear him. Stroking some hair out of Clint’s face, he shut the front door and then walked into the small kitchenette. It didn’t take Phil long to find what he had been looking for. Wetting a cloth with cold water, he returned to the living room and sat down next to Clint on the couch.

 

“Time to come around again Barton,” he said quietly pressing the cold cloth gently against Clint’s forehead. He watched with a small frown as the other man slowly seemed to be coming around again. The man blinked for a few times before his eyes seemed to focus on Phil, his expression confused.

 

“I thought I was dreaming there for a moment,” Clint whispered, his voice hoarse and hand reaching up to pull away the cloth from his forehead.

 

“Well I can assure you that I am pretty much real,” Phil assured, batting Clint’s hand away with his free hand.

 

“I thought you were dead,” Clint added and Phil could hear the other man’s voice break.

 

“I know,” Phil said quietly. He reached out to let the cloth wipe gently along Clint’s eyebrows, and along the side of his eyes. “I already had a good word to Fury about that,” he added, his voice bitter. Letting the cloth drop on to the coffee table, Phil reached out to cup the other man’s face, feeling the skin shiver beneath his touch.

 

“You need a shave,” Phil murmured, smiling weakly as he heard a chuckle come from the back of Clint’s throat.

 

“Oh really, you come back here from the dead and tell me that I need a shave?” Clint asked, and Phil couldn’t but feel a grin tug at the corner of his lips. Nevertheless a heavy weight seemed to hang in the air, and Phil could only understand too well.

 

“Well not only do you need a shave, but a shower as well,” he finally added, his voice hoarse with emotions.

 

“You’d better come and join me then,” Clint murmured, and Phil could only watch for a moment as the other man disappeared up the stairs to the 2nd floor. Phil knew that he was just receiving a second chance, and he would be stupid not to take it.

 

Phil couldn’t remember how long they had been in the shower for, or for how long they continued to explore their bodies in the bed. When Phil awoke the next morning however, he felt properly spend and sated. He smiled as he felt Clint’s head on his chest, one arm wrapped around his waist. This was how things were supposed to be. The two of them together, without any worries, just happy. Letting out a small sigh he leaned down to press a kiss against Clint’s head.

 

There was really only one option for Phil to continue like this. He couldn’t stay here. He knew that, and this was also no life for Clint. They both, even if they liked the silence, needed some kind of noise from the city. It was just who they were. You couldn’t just draw back when you had worked from SHIELD for years, it made life on the countryside extremely boring. Still Phil had experienced enough in his lifetime, and admitted maybe it was time to settle down a little.

 

“Clint?” Phil asked softly, wondering if the other man was already awake. He smiled as he was rewarded with the arm around his waist tightening its hold and a nose nuzzling against his skin.

 

“Morning, you’re still here,” Clint murmured sleepily.

 

“Of course I am,” Phil replied with a small shake of his head. He let his hand caress gently down Clint’s spine, his fingers massaging slowly into the muscles. “Why shouldn’t I be?”

 

“Just making sure I am not really dreaming,” Clint replied and Phil couldn’t stop himself from giving the other mans skin a small pinch.

 

“Ouch that hurt!”

 

“Was supposed to,” Phil replied with a smirk and then felt himself growing more serious again. “Clint...”

 

“Mhhh... don’t stop doing that... it was feeling nice,” Clint replied distractedly.

 

“In a moment, listen to me just for a few second,” Phil urged, knowing that Clint would otherwise probably go back to sleep.

 

“Is this where I get told off?” Clint asked, pushing himself up on one elbow so that he could look Phil straight in the eyes.

 

“No. I am not going to tell you off, because I can understand where you’re reasons are coming from. This is the point where I ask you to come back with me,” Phil said, reaching out to gently smooth some hair out of Clint’s face. He smiled as the other man leant into his touch, letting his fingers caress lightly over the other man’s skin.

 

“To SHIELD?” Clint questioned.

 

“No, with me. To Boston,” Phil explained and then waited. Clint’s expression was unreadable for a moment, before he could see it softening at the corner of his lips.

 

“Boston... Boston sounds good,” he said after a while, and then a grin grew on the younger man’s face. “But that would mean that I would have to leave this wonderful house behind,” Clint said and Phil couldn’t stop himself from hitting the other man playfully over the head.

 

“This place Barton is a fucking mess, so you can tear it down for all I like but we’re not keeping it,” Phil said seriously, earning a loud laugh from Clint in return. Phil could just smile, leaning in to kiss Clint again.

 

Things were finally starting to look better again.

 

_Phil hadn't known what to do anymore. Clint was acting more and more like a rogue agent with every passing moment, and nothing seemed to get into his head to stop it. At the end it had been Fury himself, who had reminded Phil of his duties. After all, once Phil had seen that Clint couldn't work with any of the other handlers, Phil had thought he could do it better, and had failed. Now he just stared into his reflection searching for grey hairs._

_"Can I go now?" Barton asked, pulling Phil out of his thoughts._

_"No, you can not, you're coming along with me," Phil ground out, pushing his chair back and leading the way out of his office. As he noticed that Barton didn't follow him at first, he stopped and simply looked back over his shoulder._

_"You're coming along Barton, I am not taking any buts," he warned and then simply continued to walk along. For some kind of reason that had worked, sitting in his car moments later and driving out of the SHIELD’s parking lot._

_"May I ask where we are going to?" Clint asked, letting out a huff as Phil simply refused to answer. He would give the man the quiet treatment that Clint usually reserved for his handler._

_It only took Phil a good 20 minutes until he found a parking spot at the harbor, and then lead the way to his favorite restaurant. He sat down at one of the tables outside, ordering each of them a coffee along with a large plate of pancakes for Clint. He couldn't remember when he could remember seeing the man eat the last time, and he definitely wouldn’t go back to SHIELD and be blamed about starving his agents as well._

_"What is this supposed to be? I don't need any kind of coddling, pep talk, or a reminder of what I am supposed to do and what not. SHIELD may fuck me sideways, I'll still be doing things my way," Clint suddenly blurted out, pushing his chair back and seemingly ready to bold._

_Phil didn't let himself be pushed out of his calm, simply thanking the waitress for their coffee and then lifting his gaze to Clint's with a raised eyebrow._

_"Sit down, breakfast will be here soon," Phil simply replied, keeping his gaze calm and steady on Clint. For a while it seemed like a battle of wills, before Clint eventually sat down again._

_They didn't say anything until the pancakes were brought, and Phil couldn't hide the smile as he saw Clint digging hungrily into them._

_"I can understand that you want to do things your way, and I respect your line of decision. But as your handler, I must know what you're doing and be able to trust you not getting into too much danger. In process, I can give you more leeway, but with the way you're acting right now you're close to getting suspension," Phil said calmly after a while, watching Clint closely for any kind of reaction._

_"I don't want to go back on the streets," Clint eventually replied looking rather like a panicked deer ready to run, something Phil had never seen with Barton before._

_"And you won't, I will make sure of that. But then you have to work with me," Phil said softly._

_"I am... Not good, in... You know."_

_"I know. And we'll talk about that, but now eat your breakfast, and if you'd mind to eat a little slower, you're going to give yourself a stomach ache," Phil motioned, leaning back comfortingly in his chair._

_"Yes sir," Clint replied with a grin, continuing to eat just like before. Well they were at least getting somewhere._

"So this is it huh?" Clint asked as they entered their new home. It was a small house, just big enough for the two of them. It had two floors, plus an attic, and a garden in the back. Enough space for two men and a dog. Not that they owned a dog yet, but Clint had been constantly nagging him about getting one and Phil was slowly starting to warm up to the idea.

 

The furniture was still missing, and one could still smell the fresh paint on the walls, but it was their home, and Phil completely loved that idea. "Yes it is, the furniture should arrive some time in the next few days," Phil finally replied, heading for the doors which led out into the garden.

 

"Furniture is completely underrated," Clint teased, making Phil laugh softly in reply.

 

"I am too old to be sleeping in sleeping bags on hard wooden floors," he cautioned Clint, already seeing the grin on the other mans face.

 

"So I don't get to christen the rooms properly?" Clint asked with a raised eyebrow.

 

Phil let himself think that once over for a moment, and with a growing smirk on his face, started to walk towards the other man. Maybe he shouldn’t have called himself old just a few seconds ago. Well he would just have to make up for those words now.

 

“I am not that old,” Phil said with a smirk, opening his shirt. “And I will show you just how much I can still do you smug boy,” he added.

  
Moving in with Clint, definitely had its perks. And after all what had happened, they both deserved it.


End file.
